aerial photograph of Canterbury Cathedral England UK. Canterbury Cathedral was built at the end of the 11th century to replace an earlier building founded in AD570. The church was partially rebuilt and enlarged in the 12th and 14th centuries. It was here that Thomas Becket was murdered in 1170 and served as a monastery as well as cathedral until the reformation of the monasteries by Henry VIII.The Cathedral is part of the Canterbury UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of England's top tourist attractions.